[CW: forced pregnancy] As someone who has interfaced with the foster care system and the infant child adoption community, I think a lot of folks talking about restricting birth control AND abortion miss how much unwanted pregnancies are viewed as a commodity.

"They want to reduce abortions but also won't give us access to birth control."

Yes, that is exactly the plan; it is not a contradiction. Forcing people to carry pregnancies they don't want to term increases supply of domestic infants for adoption.

That may sound like a batshit conspiracy theory but if you have any cause to interface with forums for prospective parents wanting to adopt, you will see this entitlement written ALL OVER THEM.

Not every adoptive parent, but basically every adoptive parents' forum.

My interaction with these communities has been minimal, but I have seen so many screeds that amount to "it's not fair that poor people get to choose whether or not to parent a child when I, a rich person who wants a child, cannot choose. They should give me a child. I am owed."

And like, hey, the pain of infertility is very real and I totally understand and respect being furious at the universe over being unable to give birth. But that's not what I'm talking about--I'm talking specifically about entitlement to other people's uteruses.

I did a post about the commodification, and specifically about how "well they should just adopt from foster care" is not a good or ethical take: https://www.flowerhorne.com/blog/2019/5/29/they-are-not-things-on-adoption-from-foster-care

But it's important to keep in mind that a lot of folks don't view unwanted pregnancies as unwanted, because they don't view the pregnant person's consent as relevant. THEY want someone else to be pregnant, and therefore it is a wanted pregnancy to which they are entitled.